


A Spoonful of Sugar

by ladynerdynerd (sparrowsword)



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Family, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Healing, Heart-to-Heart, Hurt/Comfort, Parent Yondu Udonta, Parent-Child Relationship, Pop Culture, Warm and Fuzzy Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-11-02 09:49:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,135
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10941990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparrowsword/pseuds/ladynerdynerd
Summary: Peter just wants Yondu to take his damn medicine.





	A Spoonful of Sugar

**Author's Note:**

> This is just pure sugary fluff. Probably too much sweetness in here but I needed something to soothe the pain in my soul! We love you, Yondu!

‘’Damn it, boy!’’ Yondu grouched croakily and swatted at Peter’s hands. ‘’Would ya quit pawin’ at me?!’’  


Peter rolled his eyes and weaved the damp cloth he was holding past Yondu’s flailing arm and slapped it across the older man’s forehead. ‘’Stop whining, old man. You wanna go and get yourself sick then you gotta be prepared to deal with the consequences.’’  


Yondu’s red eyes widened incredulously. ‘’Get myself sick?! The only reason I got this goddamn flu is ‘cos I was savin’ yer ass!’’  


Well, there was no arguing with that. Peter’s playfully disgruntled face became sombre and twisted in a frown. Universumfluenza, otherwise known as Space flu, an unforgivably boring name in Peter’s opinion, was no laughing matter. Plenty of species couldn’t handle it and would succumb to the illness within a few days and die a miserable death, their bodies an unrecognisable mess of mottled skin and mucus. Yondu, being a Centaurian and a stubborn bastard, was much more resilient to the disease but even he had his limits. The initial relief of being rescued and, more importantly, being alive had quickly morphed into panic once Peter had realised how ill the exposure had made Yondu and he’d wasted no time in practically throwing Rocket away from the controls so he could fly the Milano to the nearest place to get medical assistance. His friends hadn’t even attempted to calm him down when he’d docked at a hospital on Furo V19, a planet that was one gigantic city, and created merry hell until several doctors came to Yondu’s aid.  


‘’He’ll be fine,’’ Rocket had said during Peter’s restless pacing of the hospital corridors. ‘’Big blue bastard is too damn stubborn to die.’’  


Peter barely spoke a word in the time that they waited until Drax, under threat of pain from Gamora, had taken Rocket down to the canteen to find Kraglin and Mantis, and to prevent any nearby machinery being tampered with out of boredom. Rocket’s annoyed mutterings and Groot’s chirpy attempts to placate him had disappeared down the corridor along with Drax’s heavy footsteps and Peter and Gamora were left alone. It had taken all of two minutes of sitting silently side by side before Peter fixed her with such a sorrowful gaze that it was all she could do to wrap her arms around him in a tight squeeze as he let go of the turmoil within.  


‘’What if he dies, Gamora?’’ Peter had whispered bitterly. ‘’What if he dies ‘cos of me?’’  


Gamora could only shush him and pet his hair soothingly as she silently shed tears at the sight of someone so dear to her in pain. They remained that way, Peter encased within her green arms and her face buried in his hair, until a doctor came to find them to inform them of news that had Peter flying out of his chair with a delighted yell. He had given the doctor a bone-crunching hug before he had hurtled into Yondu’s room with excited glee. A croaky yet familiar voice had unleashed a stream of curse words at the exuberant entrance and Gamora left to find the rest of the group with a huge smile on her face.  


**** 

It was through sheer stubbornness, at least according to the doctor, that Yondu pulled through. The Ravager Captain spent three days hooked up to various machines, monitors and drips that fed potent medicines into his body and measured the rate in which his body began to return to its normal temperature. Luckily, it wasn’t long before he was through the very worst of it, but it would be a while before he fully recovered. It had taken some convincing but so miserable of a patient was Yondu that his doctor had agreed to allow him to recuperate on Peter’s ship, on the agreement that it didn’t leave the planet until Yondu was declared totally fit and healthy. Peter had gladly allowed hospital personnel access to his somewhat messy quarters so that they could make it suitable for Yondu. Kraglin had even bought over some of the Captain’s personal belongings that he’d managed to save to make the man feel more at home, littering surfaces with various trinkets and gizmos and taking care to place his beloved coat and arrow delicately on Peter’s dresser. Now, three days later, here they were, Peter playing nurse and Yondu still looking like hell.  


Peter had fallen silent at Yondu’s snippy comment, his heart twisting as the image of Yondu suffocating in front of him flooded his thoughts for the hundredth time. Noticing the troubled look on the younger man’s face, Yondu grunted before making a weak attempt at a lecherous grin.  


‘’Still, s’not all bad…got me the attention of some pretty nurses.’’  


Peter snorted, turning the cloth over so the cool side was pressed against Yondu’s forehead. ‘’Trust you to be able to charm a couple of nurses whilst on death’s door.’’  


Yondu’s smug chuckle quickly turned into a coughing fit which left Peter scrabbling for the large glass of water that sat beside the bed. Angling the straw to Yondu’s lips, he held the glass and watched with concern as Yondu proceeded to drain the whole thing.  


‘’You been taking your medication, right?’’  


With the straw still sticking out from his mouth, Yondu gave him an annoyed stare which would have been comical if it wasn’t for the pale shade of his usually crimson eyes and the frosty hue of his skin. Peter let out a squawk of frustration and glared at him.  


‘’You need to take your medicine otherwise you’re not gonna get better!’’  


Yondu spat the tip of the straw out. ‘’Stuff tastes like shit.’’  


‘’I don’t care!’’ Peter snapped, setting the now empty glass down. ‘’There’s no point in being a hero and saving the day just to die for some stupid ass reason a few days later!’’  


‘’You wanna try takin’ the stuff!’’ Yondu gestured towards the various bottles of liquids and pills that littered the bedside table. ‘’Trust me, whoever made that shit didn’t want anyone gettin’ better. Goddamn conspiracy, s’what it is.’’  


Peter couldn’t help the grin that spread over his face as he listened to Yondu’s ridiculous ranting. The Captain met his gaze and snorted in reluctant amusement before settling his head back on his pillow with a raspy sigh.  


‘’How about we do somethin’ fun if you take your medicine?’’ Peter ventured, removing the cloth from Yondu’s forehead and poking the side of the pillow to fluff it up slightly.  


‘’I ain’t some damn infant, boy.’’  


‘’Acting like one…’’  


‘’What’s that?’’  


‘’Look,’’ Peter said loudly, not wanting to aggravate Yondu anymore than he already was. ‘’I get it. Being sick sucks. You wanna be out there stealing stuff, making money and shit, but you can’t do that until you’re better and you won’t get better unless you take your medicine.’’  


Yondu merely glared at him some more. ‘’You goin’ somewhere with this, Quill?’’  


‘’I’m just saying, if we try and take your mind off how crap you feel, it might help with taking the medicine.’’ Peter said with a shrug. ‘’Y’know, distract and deploy…or something to that effect.’’  


Yondu’s response was a particularly violent bout of sneezing that had Peter hurling tissues at him at a furious speed. The used ones were immediately thrown back at him and Peter darted out of the room, unwilling to provoke the grumpy Captain any further.

*****

Over the next few days, Yondu’s condition remained much the same in terms of his physical symptoms, but his temper grew and his patience wore thin with each passing hour to the point that even Groot couldn’t cheer him up, much to the little tree’s disappointment.  


‘’Do not worry, little one,’’ Drax said as he assisted Groot in perching on his shoulder so that he could have a better view out of the cockpit window. ‘’Soon the Captain will be cured of his ailments and I am sure he will want to spend time with you.’’  


Rocket let out a bark of laughter. ‘’Yeah, sure! At this rate, he’s gonna win an award for most miserable bastard in the galaxy!’’  


Drax sighed. ‘’I wish you wouldn’t swear in front of the young one, Rocket.’’  


Rocket looked up from the collection of wires and tools in his paws. ‘’You are aware that his language is probably worse than mine, right?’’  


‘’That is exactly my point.’’  


As they dissolved into familiar and friendly bickering, Peter braced himself against the edge of the kitchen sink and stared thoughtfully into it. A delicate hand suddenly touched his cheek but he didn’t flinch, knowing that it wasn’t a threat.  


‘’Oh…’’ Mantis said softly, her voice quiet with the weight of emotion. ‘’You carry so much fear and hurt from what happened…it is rather painful for you, isn’t it?’’  


Peter could only nod and swallow thickly. The shield that had been up since they’d been rescued, constructed of adrenaline, bravado and sheer relief was now beginning to rapidly crumble as the reality of what had happened became ever clearer. Since Rocket had plucked them from the vacuum of space, Peter had barely slept a wink. All he could see was Yondu’s face as he suffocated in front of him, as he willingly gave up his life so that Peter, so that _his boy_ , could live and Peter hadn’t even found the courage to talk to him about it…to say sorry for being so blind for all the years they’d spent together.  


‘’He kept me safe…’’ Peter mumbled. ‘’All these years, he kept me safe and I can’t even return the favour by getting him to take his damn medicine.’’  


‘’Cap’n don’t do a thing ‘nless he got a mind to.’’ Kraglin said as he came into the kitchen. ‘’Ain’t ever been someon who told him what to do an’ he do it…’’ He tilted his head and observed Peter with a friendly smirk. ‘’’Cept you, Quill.’’  


Peter sighed heavily, feeling an almost unbearable need to just burst into tears.  


‘’You need to sleep, Peter.’’ Gamora came up beside him and rested a hand on his tense shoulder. ‘’Yondu’s a grown man who makes his own choices, but you aren’t any good to him if you’re just as exhausted as he is.’’  


‘’I could help you sleep, if you like?’’  


Mantis reached out towards him again and Peter, immediately reminded of Ego, lurched away from her abruptly with a loud ‘NO!’ which brought Rocket, Drax and Groot running.  


‘’The hell is going on?’’ Rocket demanded, eyes locking onto a dismayed looking Mantis and a heavily breathing Peter. ‘’Ah man, are you all dredging up bad memories already?’’  


‘’I gotta…just need to get outta here…’’ Peter stumbled past them all, finding himself heading directly towards his room. He opened the door, mouth wide open to say something, anything, when he heard the stuttering snores coming from the other man in the room. Peter came to stand by the edge of the bed, looking down at Yondu’s pale face. In sleep, his expression was relaxed and free from the line of discomfort that marred it during the day, but his skin was still far from its usual rich blue.  


_‘He may have been your father, boy, but he weren’t your daddy.’  
_

__

_That smile, so full of pride…pride for his boy…  
_

__

_The gut-wrenching realisation of what was happening…_  


_No, Yondu…No!_  


_Yondu’s hands on his face…ice creeping across his face like frosty spiderwebs…_  


_NO NO NO!! YONDU NO!!_  


_That proud smile fading so quickly as the loss of air took hold…_  


_YONDU!_  


A sob wracked Peter’s body and he clutched the edge of the blanket that covered Yondu, squeezing it in a tight fist to try and fight against the swell of emotion deep within his chest. He thought of all the years that he’d spent with Yondu and all that had taken place in them; the fights, the tears and tantrums, the moments of peace where it was just the two of them and Yondu would teach him things and then ruffle Peter’s hair affectionately when the boy made him laugh. A wretched feeling of regret coiled itself around Peter’s heart in a fierce grp as he realised that in all that time, not once had he ever realised just how much the man had done for him.  


Yondu was a Ravager, a man who had no business being any sort of a protective or parental figure in anyone’s life and yet since Peter was eight years old, Yondu had been the one to clothe him, feed him, watch out for him and teach him all there was to know about surviving in the galaxy, and had done so despite the damage it had inevitably done to his reputation and his relationship with his crew. He hadn’t been perfect, not by miles, and it was no secret that Peter had felt as though he hated the man over their years together, a feeling he suspected was probably mutual…but Yondu had been there for him all along.  


‘’Yondu…’’ he gasped, gritting his teeth as hard as he could against the pain in his chest. ‘’I’m sorry…’’  


He ducked his head as the tears fell, unsure of what else to do but stand there. He’d come so close, so damn close, to losing the man that, for all his faults, loved Peter as if he were his very own, loved him enough to give up his life for him…the idea of just how close he had come to losing Yondu that way nearly brought Peter to his knees.  


All this time…all this damn time he’d been wondering about his father, wondered about all the things his mother had told him and if they were true. So many times, he had dreamt that his father had come for him, come to take him away from Yondu and his crew of miscreants, and now the thought made him feel absolutely sick to his stomach. Since his mum had died, he felt like he’d been searching for something, but he’d been too blind and too idiotic to realise that it had been right beside him all along.  


Another sob escaped his mouth and he slammed a fist to his lips to try and hold it in, his eyes clenched tight.  
‘’Get in here, Quill…’’  


Peter’s head jerked up at the sound of Yondu’s voice. The Captain’s eyes remained closed but the arm nearest Peter had moved towards him in a silent invitation.  


‘’Yondu?’’  


‘’Just c’mere.’’  


Peter sniffled loudly as he clambered onto the bed, carefully tucking himself against Yondu’s side and clutching a handful of the man’s undershirt as he did so. He let out a startled breath as Yondu’s arm curled around his shoulders and a hand slid into his hair where it softly petted him in a soothing motion.  


‘’S’alright boy…’’  


The tears came heavy and fast now. Unable to stop them, Peter buried his face further into Yondu’s side and squeezed the handful of shirt as tightly as he could.  


‘’Dad…’’  


‘’’M’here, Son…m’here…’’

*****

 _Peter sat cross-legged on his bunk, backpack held limply in his hands and chin wobbling as he valiantly tried to hold back tears. He’d looked everywhere, even though he knew that it was never anywhere else but his pocket or his backpack, but it was no use. His Walkman, along with the mixtape that his mother had given him, was gone. He’d run out of batteries a few days ago and had been building up the courage to ask Yondu if they could stop somewhere so that he could get some more when he’d realised that it was missing. A heavy weight settled in his chest like a lump of lead and he let out a little sob, clenching the strap of his bag in his little fist._  


_He didn’t realise Yondu had entered the room until he spoke. ‘’S’matter, boy?’’_  


_Peter didn’t reply. Instead, he tucked himself further inwards, curling up like a wounded animal. There was a sigh before the edge of his bunk dipped slightly under Yondu’s weight as the Captain sat down._  


_‘’Someone been threatenin’ to eat ya again?’’_  


_Peter shook his head. ‘’Just you.’’_  


_The boy’s lips quirked a fraction as Yondu snorted._  


_‘’So what’s with the tears?’’_  


_Peter touched his cheek and felt the wetness of his skin. He glanced up at Yondu who looked back at him expectantly, red eyes narrowed in thought. Peter’s lower lip wobbled for a second before he began to cry._  


_‘’I can’t find my Walkman,’’ he sobbed, drawing his knees up to his chest and burying his face in them._  


_There was a pause. ‘’That the thing you always got attached to your earholes?’’_  


_Peter nodded, floppy fringe ruffling over the tops of his knees._  


_He heard Yondu shift and the rustle of his coat. ‘’You mean this thing?’’_  


_Peter jerked his head up to see his Walkman in Yondu’s hand, complete with headphones and the tape still inside. He gasped in surprise and took it as Yondu bounced his palm slightly in encouragement. As his fingers curled around the device, he felt a slight bulge at the back and quickly turned it over to see what it was. In the compartment where several batteries would need to be was a power cell sealed neatly into it instead._  


_‘’Took it to a guy I know,’’ Yondu explained before Peter could even ask. ‘’Had him fit it with that cell. Damn powerful things, so should last you a good few years before it burns out.’’_  


_Peter lifted his head to gape at him, teary eyes wide with shock. Seemingly uncomfortable with the look that the boy was giving him, Yondu gave an annoyed grumble._  


_‘’Saves you pesterin’ me for more of those damn batteries every few weeks,’’ he said and crossed his arms defiantly, as though he was waiting for Peter to do something to make him regret his decision. Instead, he was given a brief warning of the bunk creaking before Peter practically launched himself forward, wrapping his arms around Yondu’s neck in a fierce grip and burying his face into the soft leather of his coat. Yondu jerked back under the force of the hug before righting himself, arms held out by his sides awkwardly for a moment before he tentatively settled a hand in the boy’s hair, fingers gently carding through it._  


_‘’Thank you, Yondu,’’ Peter’s soft voice breathed into his ear, drawing a small smile from the gruff Captain._  


_‘’Welcome, boy.’’_  


_He gave Peter’s hair a rough ruffle before shoving him back onto the bunk and standing up._  


_‘’Now stop your cryin’ an’ go do somethin’ useful!’’_  


_Peter beamed up at him as he placed his headphones over his ears and hopped off the bed. ‘’Yes, sir!’’_  


_The somewhat soft look on Yondu’s face quickly turned into one of frustration as he watched Peter hurtle down the corridor, music no doubt blaring in his ears if the way he nearly barrelled into several members of the crew was anything to go by._  


_‘’Goddamnit,boy, you know you ain’t supposed to run through the damn corridors!’’ Yondu snarled as he strode out of the room in pursuit of the kid. ‘’You listenin’ to me, boy? Peter!!’’_

*****

‘’Peter…Peter…’’  


Peter groaned, rolling his shoulder to ease out a kink or two before settling down again, nuzzling his face into the refreshingly cool side of his pillow.  


‘’PETER!’’  


With a strangled yell, Peter jerked awake and would have toppled off the bed if it hadn’t been for Yondu’s arm bracing tightly against his shoulder and hauling him back.  


‘’Clumsy ass,’’ a sleepy voice growled which quickly trailed off into a rumbling snore.  


Peter blinked in bewilderment at the sight of the Cetaurian lying beside him, realising that the cold side of the pillow had actually been the coldness of Yondu’s skin through his shirt. He turned a confused stare onto Gamora as she waited patiently by the side of the bed.  


’'You okay?’’ he asked her, rubbing a palm sleepily over his face.  


Gamora smiled, a tender smile that he’d been seeing a lot more of lately. ‘’I’m fine. We have a visitor. Rocket currently has a gun trained on her but we don’t believe her to be a threat.’’  


Peter stared at her in confusion. ‘’Her?’’  


Gamora nodded. ‘’She says she’s come to help Yondu take his medicine.’’  


Peter’s brow furrowed even further while Yondu let out a groan next to him.  


‘’I already told y’all I ain’t takin’ any damn medicine.’’  


‘’Is she a nurse or something?’’  


Yondu’s eyes snapped open. ‘’Did someone say nurse?’’  


Peter rolled his eyes. ‘’Knock it off, you old creep!’’ He turned back to Gamora. ‘’Well?’’  


‘’She…well,’’ she said before a bemused smile appeared on her face, ‘’she says she’s Mary Poppins.’’  


There was a beat of silence before Peter chuckled, falling back onto the bed with a thump.  


‘’No, HE’S Mary Poppins,’’ Peter chortled, jerking a thumb at Yondu who was now glaring at him. ‘’Seriously, she said that?’’  


Gamora nodded and Peter grinned in amusement. ‘’Well, send the good nanny in!’’  


Peter sat up with glee, heaving a grumbling Yondu up beside him as Gamora went to open the bedroom door. Rocket’s growling threats immediately filled the room as he backed into it, gun aimed up at somebody.  


‘’I checked her out,’’ he grunted, eyes not moving from his target. ‘’She doesn’t seem to be armed but I wouldn’t trust that stick thing she’s carrying.’’  


There was a sigh from the other side of the door. ‘’I’ve already told you, it’s called an umbrella.’’  


Peter’s eyebrows rose a fraction at the response, and then his jaw dropped as a figure stepped into the room. She was fairly tall and had a somewhat serious yet kind face. She was dressed in a long dark coat, a patterned scarf and a black hat decorated with flowers which sat perfectly atop her brown hair. In one gloved hand, she held a large carpet back and in the other was an umbrella with a handle made to resemble a parrot. Seemingly unperturbed by the raccoon pointing a gun at her and the somewhat intimidating presence of the rest of the ship’s inhabitants standing behind her, she looked at Peter and Yondu with an expectant stare.  


‘’I…I…’’ Peter gaped at her, completely taken by surprise. ‘’What the fuck?!’’  


The woman flinched at his words. ‘’Language, Mr Quill.’’  


‘’Sorry,’’ Peter said automatically before sputtering nonsense words in disbelief at the sight of the woman standing at the foot of the bed.  


‘’Do you know this woman, Peter?’’ Drax asked, eyeing the woman with suspicion.  


‘’She…she…’’ Peter stammered, ‘’she’s Mary Poppins.’’  


He squawked as a hand cuffed him round the back of the head. ‘’I thought you said Mary Poppins was a man!’’  


Peter groaned at Yondu’s outraged yell. ‘’No, YOU asked me if ‘he’ was cool and I said yes, ‘cos Mary Poppins is cool!’’  


‘’You sayin’ I look like a woman?!’’  


‘’Hell no,’’ Peter countered, moving to get out of the bed. ‘’Believe me, there’s no chance in any galaxy of you passing for a woman.’’  


‘’You givin’ me sass, boy?!’’  


‘’Gentleman,’’ Mary barked, her voice firm and loud in the room. ‘’Please do not resort to such petty squabbling. I am here to do a job and I would like to do it in a timely fashion, if you wouldn’t mind.’’  


‘’You can’t be here,’’ Peter pointed an accusing finger at Mary. ‘’You’re fictional, and I know that Julie Andrews has gotta be an old lady by now so you’re definitely not her either, so who the hell are you?’’  


Mary sighed, as though thoroughly exhausted by the situation, and moved over to Peter’s desk, removing her gloves and placing them on the surface along with her bag and umbrella. Rocket kept his gun firmly fixed on her, a claw flexing lightly against the trigger.  


‘’It really is quite simple, Mr Quill. I am Mary Poppins, the real Mary Poppins. I would have thought that a motion picture featuring my arrival through the clouds via an umbrella would have made it rather clear that I am not from Earth.’’  


‘’That was a movie!’’ Peter exclaimed. ‘’It’s not real.’’  


‘’The movie itself is not real, you are quite right,’’ Mary replied, sharply batting Rocket’s paw away as it reached curiously for the umbrella and earning herself a growl for the move. ‘’However, it was based on me. Mr Disney was a dear friend and felt that aspects of my life would make for a good story to tell Terran children.’’  


‘’But-but-Julie Andrews!’’  


Mary smiled. ‘’A rather impressive doppelganger to be sure, but I can promise you that we are two very different people.’’  


‘’What the hell’s a Julie Andrews?’’  


Peter ignored Kraglin’s question and ran a hand through his hair, causing it to stand on end.  


‘’Now then,’’ Mary said, clasping her hands together and looking round at them all. ‘’Who is the person who wrote the letter?’’  


There was a moment of confused silence before Gamora warily raised her hand.  


‘’Letter? What letter?’’ Peter asked.  


Rocket gave a warning snarl as Mary reached into a pocket of her coat. She merely rolled her eyes before producing a piece of paper that had been torn apart and then taped back together again.  


‘’This letter, Mr Quill.’’  


She held it out towards him and Peter tentatively plucked it from her hand with the tips of his fingers.  


‘’Well?’’ Yondu rasped. ‘’Wassit say, boy?’’  


‘’It, erm…’’ Peter cleared his throat. ‘’It says ‘Mary Poppins, my friend Peter has told me tales of you since we became friends. He says that you can perform magic and make people well again by making them take their medicine. He also says that you are not real, but I truly wish you were.’’’  


Peter paused here, clearing his throat again and glancing up at Gamora. Her green skin was flushed and darker in tone and her eyes were full of an emotion that he couldn’t quite identify. She met his gaze and nodded for him to carry on.  


‘’’Our family has survived great hardship and unspeakable pain, especially Peter, and I greatly fear for his wellbeing. He does not sleep or eat because he is worried about his f…about his father.’’’  


He felt Yondu shift behind him as he stammered on the words.  


‘’’We are all worried for the both of them yet we are all at a loss for what to do to help them. I only wish you were real so that you could come and help them, like you helped the children in Peter’s stories.’’’  


Peter swallowed thickly and looked up. ‘’It, erm…it stops there.’’  


‘’I…I tore it up and threw it out of the airlock,’’ Gamora explained, her voice laced with embarrassment as everyone turned to look at her. ‘’It was…an emotional moment that I needed to get out of my system and I felt better for doing so, but I knew that the letter was foolish so I tore it up and threw it away.’’  


She looked at Mary, her face now giving away just how truly astonished she was at the woman’s presence. ‘’I never thought for one second that you could possibly be real.’’  


Mary’s reply was cut off by a frustrated grunt from Yondu as he rolled over in the bed, turning his back to them all. ‘’Well, she’s real an’ that means she’s capable of leavin’. Me an’ the boy are fine!’’  


His words were instantly robbed of meaning as he dissolved into a bout of coughing so vicious that Peter had to seize the man’s trembling shoulders to prevent him from falling from the bed.  


‘’Stubborn old man,’’ Peter muttered, though he smiled fondly as Yondu wheezed an indecipherable insult back at him.  


‘’I go where I am needed, Mr Udonta,’’ Mary said matter-of-factly, ‘’and I can see that I am most definitely needed here.’’  


She looked down at Rocket who peered sceptically back up at her, though his tail had relaxed somewhat, indicating he no longer felt that she was really any kind of a threat.  


‘’I don’t suppose it’s too much trouble to be shown where I can freshen up?’’  


Her tone of voice left no room for argument and soon, it was only Peter and Yondu in the room again. Peter had tried to catch Gamora’s eye and she breezed past him but her face was hidden by her thick veil of hair. The Guardian and the Ravager Captain sat in silence for a moment before Peter swore under his breath.  


‘’If I find out that Spielberg is from a different planet, I’m gonna lose my mind…’’

*****

‘’Mr Quill?’’  


Peter looked up at Mary, still somewhat star struck at the sight of her. She motioned to the spare seat opposite him at the small table and he nodded, pushing it out with his foot. Mary descended into it gracefully and proceeded to study him thoughtfully, lips pursed ever so slightly and eyes bright with intensity. Peter fidgeted under the scrutiny but remained quiet as he waited for her to finish.  


‘’Your friends tell me that you haven’t slept properly for days.’’  


Peter shrugged, unsure of what to say.  


‘’From what I can tell, Mr Udonta is through the worst of his illness though it is clear that he is still rather unwell.’’ She paused and her expression softened a little. ‘’Yet you are still very troubled.’’  


Peter shuffled again his seat before sighing loudly. ‘’He won’t take his damn medicine. He almost died and all he has to do to get better is take some disgusting medicine but he won’t do it because he’s an asshole.’’  


He smiled sheepishly as Mary frowned at his language. Drax’s booming laughter echoed from another part of the ship and was rapidly followed by a crash and Rocket also laughing his head off. Peter shook his head, not even wanting to hazard a guess as to what they were doing.  


‘’And you feel that him taking his medicine will help you to also feel better?’’  


Peter frowned. ‘’It isn’t about me feeling better. I just want him to actually be better.’’  


Mary nodded. ‘’Mr Quill, I suspect that Mr Udonta might be struggling with recent events just as much as you are. It is very rare that an act of selflessness doesn’t leave a mark on a person.’’  


Yondu’s face, red eyes wide and mouth open in a final gasp for air, flashed across Peter’s mind, making him wince.  


‘’Can’t you just sing him a song and get him to take the stuff?’’  


Mary narrowed her eyes at him. ‘’You would need Julie Andrews for that, I’m afraid.’’  


Peter leant forward slightly. ‘’Just how did Walt Disney know about you, anyway? Terrans are terrified by just the idea of there being life on other planets.’’  


‘’Walt was from Xandar, Mr Quill.’’  


‘’Are you fucking kidding me?!’’ Peter yelled, hands flying into his hair in surprise. ‘’Walt Disney was Xandarian?!’’

*****

Mary’s presence aboard the ship, whilst met with scepticism and a level of distrust at first, soon did wonders for the atmosphere amongst the emotionally worn out group in a mere matter of hours. Peter continued to marvel at her very existence while the others took delight in listening to the stories she would tell of her many adventures; the one about dancing with people in a chalk drawing proved to be very popular. The ship was soon filled with the raucous banter and familial camaraderie that Peter had grown to love so fiercely, and it soothed him somewhat to see the weight lifted from their shoulders. Rocket had found the notion of Gamora accidentally summoning a nanny to come and make Yondu take his medicine beyond hilarious, something which had rid the woman of her earlier embarrassment and soon she too found herself laughing at the thought. Her gaze was once again tender and friendly when she looked at Peter and for that, he was extremely grateful.  


Still, despite the lightened atmosphere and the few hours of sleep he had managed to catch in his room with Yondu, he still felt utterly exhausted and found himself still unable to shake the dark thoughts from his mind.  


From his place on the floor outside of his door, he could hear Yondu’s wheezing coughs and spluttering sneezes and he sighed, leaning his head wearily back against the wall. Once again, his mind drifted back to that moment with him and Yondu flying into space together and he jerked his head forward, unwilling to succumb to it.  


‘’I know you’re out there, boy.’’  


Peter jumped at the sound of Yondu’s voice but didn’t move, unsure of what to do. He’d only cried a few hours earlier but he suddenly felt the need to do it again as Mary’s words echoed in his head.  


‘’That crazy lady still here?’’  


Peter snorted. ‘’She’s not crazy.’’  


‘’Seems plenty crazy to me.’’  


They fell quiet once more and Peter, unable to bear it any longer, stood up and darted into the room, startling Yondu so much that he erupted into a coughing fit.  


‘’I spent so much time as a kid wishing I was anywhere but here,’’ Peter said loudly over the noise, fighting to keep his voice steady. ‘’Wishing I could get away from you and find my real dad and live happily ever after because I thought that you just saw me as cargo, that you didn’t care that much about me…but then you went and did what you did and I…’’  


He bent forward at the waist and gasped for breath against the furious onslaught of emotion that seemed to batter him from the inside. ‘’I was wrong and…and I can’t believe I never realised just how stupid I was.’’  


With gritted teeth, he pulled himself back up to his full height and looked Yondu in the eyes, his composure cracking into pieces at the sight of the Centaurian’s intense gaze. ‘’I’m sorry, Yondu...Dad…I’m so sorry.’’  


His knees buckled then but a pair of strong and familiar arms quickly caught him and hauled him into a tight hold.  


‘’Knock it off, boy, there ain’t no need for any tears.’’  


Peter rubbed his face into Yondu’s shoulder and returned the embrace fiercely.  


‘’I didn’t always do my best by you, kid, an’ that’s always gonna be a deep regret of mine,’’ Yondu said with a sigh that ruffled Peter’s hair. ‘’I taught you how to survive an’ I thought that was enough.’’  


‘’It was,’’ Peter whispered, ‘’you raised me like your own.’’  


‘’Shoulda’ done more for ya…you were just a kid, my kid, an’ I shoulda’ made you feel like it.’’  


‘’I did feel it,’’ Peter replied and Yondu squeezed him tighter. ‘’I just didn’t understand it…but I do now.’’  


A hand crept into his hair and stroked it reassuringly as they stood there together, holding onto one another in an unyielding grip.  


‘’Remember that time when you got that power cell for my Walkman just so I didn’t have to keep wasting my money on batteries?’’  


‘’I remember all of it, Son.’’  


The fondness in the gruff voice was enough for Peter to accept that it was okay, they were okay, _his dad_ was okay and he let out a little laugh of relief before pulling back to look at Yondu. The Ravager looked back at him with an expression full of pride and gave him a smile that lasted all of two seconds before he descended into another coughing frenzy.  


‘’When are you gonna stop being so damn stupid and take your medicine?’’ Peter said as he attempted to stuff Yondu back into bed.  


‘’Already did, boy.’’  


Peter stopped his fussing of the pillows and looked up in surprise. ‘’What?’’  


Yondu shrugged. ‘’That damn woman was in here earlier harpin’ on at me about it. She laced all the medicine with sugar and damn near forced the stuff down my throat.’’ He chuckled a little. ‘’Good thing it didn’t taste like shit anymore otherwise I’d have sent her for a spin outta the airlock.’’  


Peter gaped at him. ‘’S-she actually gave you sugar to help you take your medicine?’’  


Yondu nodded. ‘’Yeah, an’ a big spoonful it was too.’’  


From somewhere nearby, Peter heard a familiar song being whistled merrily and as he caught sight of a figure flying past his bedroom window with an umbrella, a bright grin spread across his face that had Yondu involuntarily smiling in return.  


‘’Whatcha’ grinnin’ about, boy?’’  


‘’Oh, nothing, Dad…nothing at all.’’

**Author's Note:**

> So I have a lot of feelings after watching GOTG2, like seriously, it's been incredibly hard for me to get over! Yondu is the space pirate dad we all secretly want!
> 
> This idea came to me and I wrote this in the space of a day; it started off as a short funny one-shot and ended up like this. I just love the idea of Mary wasting no time in telling Yondu to stop being an ass and take his medicine haha! Obviously I've taken huge liberties with certain things but damn it, that's the magic of fanfiction! It's by no means perfect and no doubt laced with problems and incorrect facts etc, but I hope you enjoyed. Also, I have no idea of how big Peter's ship actually is in terms of them all living on it, but I assume they must all fit somehow!
> 
> Apologies for any errors, spelling mistakes and such.


End file.
